Volkswagen and Aral will jointly accelerate the expansion of ultra-fast charging stations for electric vehicles in Germany, Great Britain, and other countries in Europe.
The plan outlines the development of an ultra-fast charging network at BP and Aral petrol stations.
A Decisive Factor
Volkswagen and Aral see the rapid expansion of ultra-fast charging stations as a decisive factor for the widespread acceptance of e-vehicles, leading to the signing of a joint declaration of intent for their cooperation, with specific details to be agreed in the coming months.
As part of the agreement, the two international companies from the mobility sector will build a network of ultra-fast charging stations at Aral petrol stations in Germany and BP petrol stations in other European countries.
Volkswagen and Aral hope to offer a reliable, high-quality charging solution for electric car drivers.
BP, Aral's parent company, estimates that around 90% of customers in Germany and Great Britain live no more than 20 minutes away from an Aral or BP petrol station.
Aral began building ultra-fast charging stations in May 2019 and only recently announced the installation of 500 charging points at over 120 stations by the end of the year.
E-Charging
The agreement would also make BP/Aral the VW Group's e-charging partner, the company added.
The Aral charging network is to be integrated into the VW Group's e-vehicles to make it easier for customers to find the pillars and pay for the charging process.
The charging stations are also available to other e-car drivers as part of the BP and Aral pulse network to give everyone access to ultra-fast charging.
'Climate-Neutral Energy Company'
Emma Delaney, member of the board of directors at BP, said, "The rapid spread of e-vehicles is a central component of our growth plans in the mobility sector and contributes to our overarching goal of becoming a climate-neutral energy company."
For Aral, ultra-fast charging is a huge element of its global mobility strategy as it aims to expand the network of public charging points to over 70,000 worldwide by 2030.
Ultra-fast charging stations with an output of over 150 kilowatts can charge a corresponding vehicle within ten minutes for a range of around 160 kilometers, making charging almost as fast as refueling.
